Maddie spent her entire childhood resenting the man who abandoned her mother and left her to struggle. Part of Maddie still felt that way, but the other part was willing to open her heart to George. He’d admitted what he’d done, apologized profusely, and then informed Maddie he realized his mistake when she was still a child. He stopped in Blackstone Bay several times over her childhood and asked Olivia if he could forge a relationship with their daughter. Olivia refused, and part of Maddie was still angry about that because she felt somehow robbed.
She was an adult, she reminded herself. What happened when she was younger didn’t have any bearing on the future. She wanted to move forward with George, let bygones be bygones. Her mother’s ghost remained bitter about it — which was one of the reasons Maddie knew Olivia hadn’t been around as much — but she refused to let sour grapes ruin the happiest day of her life.
“What are you thinking, Mad?”
Nick interrupted her private interlude and hunkered down in front of her, hands on his knees.
“What?” She was flustered when she realized he’d been talking to her all this time. “Did you say something?”
He shook his head. “I’ve said a few things. Where was your head?”
“Oh, well ... I was just thinking about Dad,” she admitted, rueful. “You said you think that forcing Granny and him into the same room together will thaw their relationship. I’m just not sure that is true.”
“It’s true.” Nick was matter-of-fact as he straightened. “They both love you. They want you to be happy. Eventually, that means they’re going to have to call a truce.”
“I think you have more faith in their inner natures than I do.”
He chuckled. “I think that you’re so easy to love that they’ll bend over backwards to do the right thing before it’s all said and done.”
Maddie arched an eyebrow, speculative. “You’ve turned into an optimist. When did that happen? I thought you were a pessimist when I first came back, but I was obviously wrong.”
“Obviously,” Nick said dryly. “I don’t know that I’m either. I just know that we’re going to be happy. If that makes me an optimist, so be it.”
Maddie’s expression softened. “I know we’re going to be happy, too.”
He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her mouth. “Very happy, Mrs. Graves-Winters.”
Maddie’s mouth spread with a sloppy grin. “That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”
“Yup.”
“Oh, geez.” Maude, who had slipped into the room without them noticing, pulled up short when she saw them at the table. “You guys are officially sickening. I’m so glad you’re almost married so I don’t have to see crap like this every morning over the breakfast table.”
Reluctantly, Maddie tore her gaze from Nick’s handsome face and focused on her grandmother. She knew Maude well enough to read the signs right away. “You’re hungover.” Her tone was more accusatory than she envisioned but she didn’t attempt to walk it back. “You didn’t drive, did you?”
“Do I look like an idiot?” Maude challenged.
Nick bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Maude’s steel gray curls were standing on end, suggesting she’d somehow slept on them wet or managed some other feat during sleep, and the question felt loaded. “You look like you had a long night,” he noted, moving back toward the counter. “What did you do? I’m not going to get a call from Harriet this morning, am I?”
Maude adopted an air of innocence. “I’m pretty sure I should be offended by that question.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
“If she calls, I can guarantee I didn’t leave any evidence behind.”
Nick shot her a fond smile. “Here’s hoping, huh?” He poured her a mug of coffee and carried it to the table before detouring through the house at the sound of the doorbell. “I’ll get it.”
Maddie wasn’t nearly as ready to play nice with Maude as Nick. “You know, Granny, Nick and I are going to be out of town on our honeymoon for a full two weeks.”
“I know.” Maude adopted a far-off expression. “It’s going to be glorious.”
Maddie frowned. “It’s going to be a big change for you. I’m going to have Dad stop in and check on you while we’re gone.”
The expression on Maude’s face was straight out of a horror movie. George, who was trailing behind Nick as they walked into the kitchen, pulled up short.
“What?” George and Maude exclaimed at the exact same time.
“I’m going to have Dad check on you while we’re gone,” Maddie repeated, firm. “He’ll be in town because he has to monitor construction progress. Since his new house is right up the street, I figure it will be convenient for him to spend time with you.”
George’s mouth dropped open as Nick ducked his head to hide a smile.
“Let me take those blueberries from you before you drop them, George,” Nick suggested, laughter in his voice.
“Oh, you think this is funny now,” George intoned as he handed over the berries. “It’s not going to be so funny when we burn your house down during a fight.”
Nick clapped his shoulder. “I have complete faith that won’t happen.”
“Me, too,” Maddie said brightly as George shuffled to the coffee pot to pour himself a mug of caffeinated goodness. “I think this is a great idea.”
“And I think you’re trying to force a relationship that’s never going to happen,” George countered. “Maddie, you know I love you. It’s just ... .”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” Maude interjected forcefully. “I’m an adult. I can take care of myself.”
“Oh, yeah?” Nick dumped the blueberries in a colander so he could rinse them. “What were you out doing all night?”
“For your information, I had a few drinks while playing cards with my friends and things got away from me,” Maude shot back. “I was a responsible adult and slept on Imogen’s couch. There’s no reason to get your panties in a twist.”
Maddie choked back a giggle and managed to hold it together ... just barely. “So, you weren’t out torturing Harriet last night. That’s what you’re saying, right?”
“Of course I didn’t do anything to Harriet last night.” Maude’s smile reminded Maddie of one of those sweet old grandmothers on a greeting card. “I’m hurt that you would even suspect something like that.”
Maddie stared hard, but Maude didn’t as much as blink. “You’re really good. I hope our children take after Nick and me. I prefer terrible liars. If you get your hands on them, they’re going to be bamboozling me at every turn.”
Maude chuckled, genuinely amused. “You’re a pip, Maddie girl. I know I’ve told you that over the years, but you really are.”
“Wait ... what children?” George asked, joining Maddie at the table. “Are you ... ?” His eyes darkened when he flicked them to Nick. “Did you do something?”
Nick balked. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. She’s not pregnant.”
“She’s not?” George looked relieved. “It’s not that I’m not looking forward to being a grandfather. I don’t want you to think that. It’s only ... we’re just getting to know one another. I thought we would have more time before we added little ones to the mix.”
“That’s the plan,” Maddie confirmed, leaning back in her chair. “We want to spend at least a year with just the two of us before expanding the family. I mean, if something happens and I turn up pregnant, it won’t be the end of the world. We don’t plan on trying for a bit, though.”
“That’s good.” George lobbed an apologetic smile at Nick. “Sorry I momentarily freaked out there.”
“No worries.” Nick waved off the apology. “Maddie and I have discussed children at length. We both want them — some of us want more than others — but we’ve agreed to let nature take its course. Besides, my brother and his fiancée are having a baby. That will keep my mother from pressuring us for at least a year.”
“That’s right.”
Maddie bobbed her head. “By the way, Christy is convinced she’s having a boy for some reason.”
“What makes her say that?” Nick asked.
“She says she knows when a penis is inside of her.” The words were out of Maddie’s mouth before she remembered she had an audience. “I mean ... .” Her face flushed with color. “Oh, geez.”
Nick choked back a laugh. “I can see Christy saying that.”
“She’s not wrong,” Maude added.
George pretended he hadn’t heard the statement. “Is everything set for the wedding?”
Maddie was thankful for the conversational reprieve. “Yup. Everything is ready. I think the only thing left on the list is the tuxes. Nick has to pick those up the day before.”
“And you already have your dress?”
Maddie’s cheeks flushed pink a second time when she risked a look at Nick. “I have it.”
“She’s been trying it on every morning,” Maude volunteered for a confused George. “She waits until Nick leaves for work and then twists and twirls in front of the upstairs mirror. It’s kind of cute ... and kind of annoying, too.”
George snickered. “That must be a girl thing.”
“Definitely,” Nick agreed. Sensing Maddie’s discomfort, he decided to change the subject. “While I have you here, Maude, I think we need to discuss a few things.”
“Oh, I don’t want to have a heavy discussion,” Maude whined. “I’m hungover. Take pity on an old woman.”
Maude only referred to herself as “old” when she was trying to get one over on someone (usually Maddie or Nick) and she was a bit slow when delivering the line.
“Well, we’re talking anyway,” Nick was firm as he started ladling batter onto the griddle. “You said you spent the night at Imogen’s house last night. I don’t suppose you paid any attention to what was going on at the Clark house, did you?”
Whatever she was expecting, that wasn’t it. Maude straightened and stared. “Are you asking if I spied on Alicia Clark last night?”
“I’m asking if you noticed anything going on at her house last night,” he clarified. “Were people there? Did anyone go in and out?”
“I didn’t see anyone,” Maude replied after a beat. “Why? I would assume she was at the hospital until visiting hours ended.”
Maude and Nick exchanged a brief look.
“Um ... Trevor died yesterday afternoon, Granny,” Maddie volunteered. “He passed away.”
“Wow. I thought he was going to survive.”
“We all did, but that didn’t turn out to be the case,” Nick replied. “The state medical examiner is conducting an autopsy in conjunction with the hospital. We should have answers on his cause of death today.”
“I thought he was shot,” George interjected. “Isn’t that what killed him?”
“Probably,” Nick confirmed. “The doctors thought he had a good shot of recovering, though. His death seemed to come out of nowhere.”
Maude was intrigued. “Do you think someone personally finished what they started? Like ...maybe he was poisoned or something.”
Maddie shifted in her chair. “I didn’t even consider that, did you, Nicky?”
“I considered it,” he hedged. “I don’t know if I believe it yet. Hopefully we’ll know more in a few hours.”
“I honestly didn’t see anything going on at the house,” Maude said. “I wasn’t paying that much attention, though. The lights were on, but it was quiet ... except for the boy. He came home late. I remember because his mother met him on the porch and didn’t look happy. The only reason I know that, though, is because I was grabbing some bourbon from my car at the time.”
“You saw Alicia and Aaron together last night?” Maddie’s curiosity got the better of her. “Did they look like they were fighting?”
Maude held her palms out and shrugged. “I wasn’t paying that close of attention. All I can say is that they were having an intense conversation.”
“That kind of fits with what he was telling you at the fairgrounds, Mad,” Nick noted. “He’s an angry kid ... and he’s angry at both of them.”
“I guess I’m missing part of the story,” George said. “I thought the wife shot him because he was cheating on her with the town floozy.”
“Marla,” Maddie supplied. “He’s been sleeping with and impregnating Marla, who is basically the worst woman in town, and supposedly they were going to move in together and raise the baby.”
Maude was mid-sip when Maddie broke the news and she spewed coffee all over the table. “What?”
“Oh, that’s gross, Granny.” Maddie hopped up to retrieve a towel. Nick already had one extended in her direction when she arrived at the counter. “Next time swallow your coffee before talking.”
“Hey! You can’t blame this on me.” Maude was adamant. “You’re the one who dropped two bombs in ten seconds and thought I should just hold in my surprise. That’s how bladder infections start. No, really. Personally, I think you’re to blame for this. You’ve been holding back.”
Maddie ignored the bladder infection comment as she wiped down the table. “I’m sorry, Granny. I thought you knew. I guess I forgot you didn’t in all the hullabaloo yesterday. I told you that Marla was having an affair with Trevor.”
“You did and that didn’t surprise me in the least,” Maude said. “The pregnancy thing, though? That’s out there. Also, I can’t believe they were going to move in together.”
“That’s Marla’s take on things,” Nick cautioned as he hovered over the pancakes. “She says that Trevor was gearing up to tell Alicia the big news. Now she wants to know how much money she’s going to get from his estate. She didn’t even really cry, which I find frustrating.”
“She probably won’t get anything from his estate,” George offered. “I’m going to guess that he didn’t have time to change his will to provide for the infant. Whatever arrangements he had in place will stand, which probably means his wife is the beneficiary.”
“She’s automatically the beneficiary at this point,” Nick said. “They were young when they got married and I doubt there was a pre-nup because neither of them had anything when they started out.”
“What will happen if Alicia is found guilty of killing Trevor?” Maddie asked, her mind busy. “I mean ... what about the kids?”
“The money will probably be split between Aaron and Catelynn,” Nick replied. “I’m not sure exactly how it works, but I doubt that Marla’s baby will play into things. Aaron is seventeen, so he will have to go into foster care — or live with his uncle — for at least a year. Catelynn’s situation is different.”
“She’s special needs,” Maddie explained. “She’s on the spectrum but very high functioning.”
“She still can’t live on her own,” Nick pointed out.
“Definitely not,” Maddie agreed. “Are you going to take Alicia into custody today?”
“I don’t know.” Nick opted for honesty. “I don’t know that we have the evidence for that yet. We are worried Alicia will pick up both kids and run, although I doubt she would make it very far. Right now, we want to gather more evidence. It seems likely that she’s the culprit, but we don’t have enough to hold her right now.”
“So, she just gets to run around free as a bird?” Maude challenged. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
“What if she’s not the guilty party, though?” Nick argued. “There’s still a chance that she’s innocent in all of this.”
“I thought they were the only two in the house at the time,” George said.
“To our knowledge, that’s true,” Nick agreed. “There is an off chance that someone else managed to sneak inside the house without Alicia knowing.”
“And back out again after firing shots?” George didn’t look convinced. “That sounds unlikely to me.”
“That sounds unlikely to us, too,” Nick admitted. “We have to be sure, though. We don’t want to put an innocent woman in prison.”
“How will
you be sure?”
“That’s the question of the day.” Nick started flipping pancakes onto plates. “Who wants to eat first? I’m guessing it’s the hangover girl.”
Maude scowled. “I can’t wait until you guys leave for your honeymoon. It’s going to be glorious to be away from you for two weeks.”
“Funnily enough, we were thinking the same thing.” Nick winked at her. “I don’t care what you say, though, I think you’re going to miss us.”
“Think again. The house will be schmaltz-free for fourteen days. It will feel like a miracle.”
Fifteen
George met Nick by the front door when the detective was leaving for his shift.
“Is something up?” Nick asked as he slipped into his shoes.
“No. Well … maybe.” George shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. “I just want to ask you something. It may seem trivial, or silly, but I need to ask you a question.”
Nick waited, feigning patience. When George didn’t jump on the opportunity, he finally waved his hand to spur on his future father-in-law.
“Right. You want to know the question.” George collected himself. “Um … what does she think about Annie?”
Nick wasn’t expecting the question. “You know what’s funny? I thought for sure you were about to spin some yarn about how it’s not convenient to check in on Maude while we’re gone.”
“That’s not convenient, but I’ll do it … mostly because it will irritate Maude.”
Nick snickered. “I think that sounds like a lot of fun. As for Annie, Maddie didn’t really say anything about her. We both know Annie, of course. She’s been around Blackstone Bay since we were kids. She’s always been nice to us.”
“That’s not really what I was asking.”
“Okay. What were you asking?”
“This is new for me,” George explained. “I wanted to be her father but wasn’t able to do it. Now I’m allowed to be with her, to hang out with her whenever I want, and I’m afraid.”
Grave Wedding (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 15) Page 14
